Ritchey Vantage Comp vs Sport

[Lhatch4]

I'm preparing to build a wheelset for my Ritchey Ultra. In 86 the bike came with Shimano Dura Ace hubs and black Araya rims. I decided to buy a set of Dura Ace hubs. Something I never thought I would do. I have a Ritchey rim in my parts stash and I thought I would find one to match. I think I have a Vantage Sport. I think the sport is single wall and the Comp is double walled. I'm sure one of you knows this information off the top of your head. Is the Sport strong enough? What are your opinions on either rim? Should I scrap the idea of using that Sport rim all together? I thought I might use the Sport rim on the front wheel and a Comp rim on the back wheel.

 

[doctor-bond]

Weren’t the Vantage rims a later innovation? For 86 I’d be looking at freewheel hubs and Araya/Ukai/Sun, etc. hoops. What’s the rear spacing on your Ultra?
One of the best wheelsets I’ve owned are Araya RM20s on Suntour Xc hubs: built in the mid 80s, still ultra smooth. Dura Ace also v nice but maybe less stout?

 

[Lhatch4]

The Vantage rims were early 90s if I remember right. There is a pair of black Araya RM20 rims on ebay for$120 plus shipping. There is a pair of RM20 rims in aluminum for $99 plus shipping. Or a Ritchey Vantage Comp for $25 plus shipping and I pair it with the Vantage Sport that I already have.

 

[Dr Dremel]

In my experience the Ritchey rims are not the strongest (mine are Comps, Experts are indeed single wall). Araya RM 20 however- I have a pair which is in use since 1988 without problems. Purely anecdotal of course and up to you if they are worth the price difference.

 

[doctor-bond]

Black Ukai
Not the1.75 version but look great and surely worth the money for the hubs?

Some pics of an 86 Ultra on Suntour / Ukai wheels: -
Here

Not light though. If performance is more important to you than period correctness, then the Vantages are super light.

 

[PhillB]

The Vantage rims were early 90s if I remember right. There is a pair of black Araya RM20 rims on ebay for$120 plus shipping. There is a pair of RM20 rims in aluminum for $99 plus shipping. Or a Ritchey Vantage Comp for $25 plus shipping and I pair it with the Vantage Sport that I already have.

Yes, some of the early 90's GT's had Ritchey Vantage Rims. Others had Araya RM17s

As others have said the Ritchey Vantage Comp Rims are lighter than the RM20's (but not by much - 20 to 40 grams per rim?) Of course a lot depends upon the hubs, spokes and tyres!

From the 1991 catalogue:
Tire & Rim

路面をガッチリとホールドする全地形仕様ホイール
“All-terrain‐spec wheels that firmly grip the road surface.”

ブレーキシューすべり止め形状（リッジ付）アラヤRM20リムはオフロード走行に充分な強度を維持しながらもスリムタイプの軽量設計。さらに、26×2.00タイヤ（MF26-CMPは26×1.90）の組み合わせにより、軽量化を追求。
“With ridged, anti-slip brake-shoe surfaces, the Araya RM20 rim maintains sufficient off-road strength yet uses a slim, lightweight design. Furthermore, by pairing it with 26×2.00 tires (26×1.90 for the MF26-CMP model), even greater weight reduction is pursued.”

Then it lists different tire/rim combinations:

• (MF26-CMP) アラヤRM20リム + ランシングルタイヤ (F：RACING, R：DURO)
  “(MF26-CMP) Araya RM20 rim + ‘Run Single’ tires (Front: RACING, Rear: DURO).”
  (Note: “ランシングル” may be a product or brand name rather than a common Japanese word.)
• (MF26-SUP) アラヤRM20リム + MTブロックパターンタイヤ
  “(MF26-SUP) Araya RM20 rim + MT block-pattern tire.”
• (MF26-PRO) アラヤRM20リム + MTブロックパターンタイヤ
  “(MF26-PRO) Araya RM20 rim + MT block-pattern tire.”
• (MF26-EXP) アラヤRM22リム + ダブルブレ... (text likely continues)
  “(MF26-EXP) Araya RM22 rim + [double-…]”
  (The snippet cuts off, so it’s unclear whether this references a double breaker tire, double-wall rim detail, or something else.)

Below that, there is mention of a quick-release hub:

クイックリリースレバー付ハブ
ホイールの脱着がワンタッチで行え、トラブル時、輪行時などスピーディに対応できます。
“Hubs with a quick-release lever allow one-touch wheel removal, enabling a speedy response in case of trouble or when traveling with the bike (e.g. by train).”

 

[Lhatch4]

Great info PhillB. Thanks.

 

[PhillB]

Great info PhillB. Thanks.

There were also Ritchey Vantage Pro Rims which were sub 400g rims (mine weigh 390g) I've not seen many about. I think they became available in 1992.

There's loads of info here :
https://ritchey.vintagebicycledatabase.com/catalogs.php
(You might have already seen this)